Tag: sugar

The Cookie that Caused the Traditional Holiday Cold

It happened every year, after an exhausting 24 hour car ride (driven in the middle of the night so the kids could sleep) we would arrive at grandma’s house and eat dozens upon dozens of sugary Christmas cookies. It was my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe and it was a Christmas tradition. We would eat them the whole time we were there. Inevitably, someone in the house would get sick and then it would spread through the grandkids and adults. Sickens during the holidays became a tradition too.We just thought it was because we were all in close proximity to each other and spreading germs. Those cookies were so addictive that we couldn’t stop eating them. My husband told me that one night he was tired and sleepy and not hungry but he still dragged himself to the kitchen and had another sugar cookie. These cookies were covered in sprinkles and they would fall off, so he ate them over the trash can as to not get them on the carpet. Good lord, it was crazy.

Fast forward many years, and I now know why we got sick.

As humans, we naturally crave a sweet taste. It is an essential part of balancing the other tastes found in nature such as salty, bitter, and sour flavors. But it felt like we were crazy addicts at Christmas time. So, what happens when we consume a lot of sugar? First and foremost, our bacteria shifts dramatically and makes more sugar-loving microbes that make us crave sugar like crazy. This, along with the key player in the reward system of our brain, set us up for control problems. That feeling of pleasure we get from food and other substances is made by dopamine. Dopamine receptors are all over our brain, and indulging in any addictive substance, such as sugar, brings on a deluge of dopamine.

Guess what happens when we eat a lot of sugar?

Yep, those levels also surge and then we need more to stay satisfied. Neurotransmitters – namely epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine – have been shown to play a major role in controlling and maintaining homeostasis within the gut system in terms of nutrient absorption, blood flow, gut microbiome, local immune system, and overall gut motility and cravings. Hang on — I’m not saying you have to give it all up, but I’m going to tell you what to do to help yourself and bring the balance back. But first, let me tell you what goes on inside of your body.

There is a fact that you may not know about your body’s immune system:

EATING ANY KIND OF SUGAR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE YOUR BODY’S DEFENSES BY 75% OR MORE FOR FOUR TO SIX HOURS.

This is the reason my family always got sick at Christmas. We had way too much sugar during the holidays and it lowered our immune system’s ability to keep us well. Let’s talk about this in regards to vitamin C. In the 1970’s, Dr. Linus Pauling (one of the greatest researchers in the field of microbiology) discovered that vitamin C helps the body combat the common cold. But what he also found was how sugar can do the opposite.

So it’s not a great idea, and especially if you’re sick, to eat any kind of sugar, because the white blood cells can’t get past the sugar to do their job. So this is why we all got sick every Christmas. Our bodies lost their superpower strength to keep us healthy because we were eating so much sugar and crashing our immune system again and again.

Want to avoid getting sick? In addition to washing your hands frequently and staying warm (mom was right … bring a sweater; viruses thrive in cold weather) perhaps the best way to prevent illness is to avoid eating excess sugar. Sugar weakens the immune system.

There are certain times of the year when you need to strengthen your inner micro-biome and the holidays is one of those times.

Look at these great holiday inspired ferments:

KEIFER

Kefir is my number one thing I consume every day. It sets my day off right. It balances hormones and blood sugar and, goodness, I don’t know what I would do without it. There are fifty bacteria in kefir. It will be a mighty force in your life and slowly change this whole world inside of you.

Learn how to make Easy Kefir in little pots

You just make a jar of Easy Kefir, which only takes 24 hours to make. Then when it’s done, add a few spoonfuls of this to small jars and fill them with milk. Let this ferment for 24 hours or until it’s thick and creamy, and then place in the fridge. You can even make chocolate milk kefir and boy, is it yummy. It’s such an easy way to make kefir and since it’s made from actual kefir grains, you get all the benefits of kefir without worrying about straining out the grains. Kefir is so nutrient dense that it will give your gut and brain what it needs and calm your body down while strengthening your immune system too!

Have it every day and just watch how you’ll change and sail through cold and flu season.

KOMBUCHA

Kombucha is a powerful detoxifier and will stop those craving for sugar quite effectively. Sugar is hard on your liver and kombucha will help support liver function. Kombucha will also supply you with a very powerful probiotic yeast that fights Candida and keeps not only the good bacteria in your body healthy, but the good yeasts too! When I have overwhelming cravings for food I know won’t be good for me, I always drink a kombucha first; and then if I still want it, I can have it but I never do. Kombucha works and it’s super delicious too.

Candy Cane Kombucha and let the microbes eat the sugar out of the tea. Then you’ll receive a holiday treat with tons of Christmas flavor and lots of bubbliness too!

Click Here

And what about an interesting twist on Keifer water – gingerbread style featuring blackstrap molasses, ginger and spices.!

Gingerbread Water Kefir

Click Here

Christmas Kefir Soda Christmas flavored kefir soda that’s super bubbly. The fruit adds extra food for the culture, which gives you extra probiotics too. This bottle can be used as a starter for many more bottles. Donna shares her recipes, and how to’s on her site Click Here

These recipes and so many more are available at CulturedFoodLife.Com

More Information

Colds and flu aren’t the only reason not to eat sugar. Look through this list of other-sugar-related-ailments. If you are suffering from any of these, think about how much sugar you are ingesting. Here’s another article on a blood sugar stabilizing diet, it’s similar to the Mediterranean-type diet. This is a very simple and delicious way to cut back on the sugar.

This article originally appeared at: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/a-cold-you-can-beat-after-a-holiday-treat/.

November 26, 2018
Why Stress Causes Sugar Cravings and How to Fight It
Welcome to the holiday season – a source of ‘seasonal stress.’ Sugar plums and chocolate Santas, Christmas cookies and parties galore the hustle and bustle of expectations, additional obligations, and hectic schedules can mean disaster on your health. Why? Because the extra stress can induce a craving for sugar which in turn reduces your body’s immunity to sickness. Take a moment to slow down and reframe your mindset learn stress causes sugar cravings and how to fight it.

Sweetdefeat shares their answer:

Understanding the connection can help you change your eating habits.

You get into a fight with your friend and suddenly you simply need a sweet treat. You get an urgent work email and immediately head towards the office candy bowl. Or you’re feeling sad, so you sit down in front of a favorite movie with a pint of ice cream.

We’ve all been there: craving sugar for psychological reasons that have nothing to do with hunger. It’s called “stress eating” for a reason. When you experience persistent stress, your adrenal glands release cortisol, which increases both appetite and motivation. Together, that makes you more likely to eat even when you don’t need it. Understanding how stress affects sugar cravings helps you recognize the signs, so you can can say “no” the next time a craving strikes.

Sugar and Stress Eating

For our ancestors, stress made them eat more, and that was a good thing. When humans were just trying to survive, eating sweets in the form of fruit meant better nutrition. Today, our stress responses are triggered almost constantly, by work, family commitments, or even the ever-present noise of city living. And the extra food is no longer a good thing: Research shows that chronic stress is linked to craving sweet and fatty foods, which contributes to the development of obesity and the host of ill health effects that accompany excess weight.

When you eat sugar, your brain releases feel-good chemicals and its reward system is activated, just as it is by drug use. In fact, sugar addiction can be just as powerful as cocaine addiction. Research suggests that “the brain reward circuitry may be a key player in stress-induced food intake,” says a 2007 study published in Physiology & Behavior.

The bad news is that your body is programmed to want sugar when you’re feeling stressed. The good news it that by recognizing the reason for your craving, you can make better choices.

Reframe Your Cravings

It’s hard to make cravings go away completely, though if you cut back on your sugar intake, they will diminish as your body becomes accustomed to your new low-sugar lifestyle. Here are five tips to help you kick cravings:
- Acknowledge the craving. Recognize that your body is craving sugar, but doesn’t really need it. Once you learn to distinguish between true hunger and cravings, you can take the proper steps to fight the cravings.
- Feed hunger with healthy options. If you’re truly hungry, have a balanced meal or snack with veggies, good fats, and protein, which has been shown to help stabilize blood-sugar levels.
- Fight cravings with a lozenge. Sweet Defeat lozenges contain extracts from the plant Gymnema sylvestre and have been shown to reduce sugar cravings. The lozenge also temporarily blocks the ability to taste sweetness, so treats aren’t satisfying: the sugar doesn’t activate the brain’s reward cycle.
- Take a walk. Remember how sugar releases those feel-good chemicals in your brain? Well, so does exercise, so that’s a great alternative to indulging in sweets. Research shows that taking a brisk walk can help reduce sugar cravings.
- Plan for a treat. Cravings cause us to behave impulsively. Rather than eating a sugary treat when a craving hits, make yourself a deal: If you still want it in two hours, or tomorrow, then you can have it. Research shows that this if-then bargaining can help reduce unhealthy food consumption.
Cravings can be hard to resist, but when they hit it’s important to remember that you are ultimately the one in control.

This article originally appeared at: https://www.sweetdefeat.com/blog/why-stress-causes-sugar-cravings-and-how-to-fight-it/

Learn More about the Impact of Sugar on your Health

Eating Sugar Found to Cause Depression

Sugar is Carcinogenic

How Sugar Effects the Brain
November 24, 2018
Sugar is Carcinogenic?
It’s a no-brainer when it comes to avoiding sodas, juices with added sugars, pastries, candies, and processed foods that use processed grains and even add sugar or HFCS to foods that are not even sweet. That’s to keep you addicted even if you can’t taste it. Refined sugar is actually addictive, some claim it’s even as addictive as cocaine. Despite all the carcinogenic chemicals that blanket our biosphere, we do have one area that’s in our control – avoiding refined sugars and carbohydrates.

That’s right, team of UCSF scientists think that sugar is so toxic and so addictive that it should be regulated with taxes, restricted on to whom and where it can be advertised, and age-restricted sales. Right they are in their view on sugar and how it is highly addictive and toxic. Fructose has even been shown to be addictive as cocaine while fueling cancer and obesity rates.

But would regulating sugar really be the answer to the problem? While sugar consumption definitely needs to be lessened, creating laws against is not the answer. The government doesn’t need to create laws for every single issue we face. Certainly companies shouldn’t be allowed to blatantly lie and tout foods as being healthy when they contain 25g of sugar per serving, that is another issue that would be labeling as informed consent.

A Recent Study That Makes Sugar Carcinogenic

Now it’s even worse. There is a study that seems to be hidden from the public eye and is certainly not welcome within our orthodox oncology system. It would cramp the food and soda business’s profits if refined sugar is seen as carcinogenic.

The study, “Increased sugar uptake promotes oncogenesis via EPAC/RAP1 and O-GlcNAc pathways” was published in the 2013-2014 Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI). Because it is a free access journal, you can access the full text, not just the abstract, here.

Its a wonder how this study hasn’t made much of a stir in our sick-care system since it is so accessible. Instead it was dug up by a research scout for Green Med Info. It is of course full of biochemical details, which is what medical people are supposed to be familiar with. So for now, let’s be content with a layman’s summary report of their study, which was an in vitro (cultures, petri dishes, and test tubes) study as opposed to an in vivo (animal or human) study. This way they could really play around with and analyze the results with total control.

Here’s the bottom line of this study: Increased glucose uptake leads to early phases of cancer cell creation while curbing glucose intake reversed cancerous cells into normal cells. In other words, sugar is carcinogenic as well as fodder for already existing cancer cells.

It’s important to not confuse the enormous amount of refined sugar, table sugar or HFCS, one takes in with sodas and processed foods with naturally occurring sugars and fructose in plant foods, regardless of how high the glycemic index may be. Fruit juices don’t need added sugars, but many fruit juices have sugar added. That’s the type of beverage or food that needs to be avoided.

But table sugar is refined, and most off the shelf breads and pastries are composed of refined grains that are refined carbohydrates, which become sugar instantly without any compensating nutrition. They are processed out of whole foods to be independent of other compounds that balance natural whole foods to make them beneficial.

On average, Americans consume 475 calories worth of added sugars each day. That is about 30 teaspoons, or 5x more than even the American Heart Association recommends. The recommended amount of sugar to consume on a daily basis is only 25g, but look at what we have to currently battle:
- An average bottle of Coke contains over 60g of sugar.
- A Red Bull contains up to 27g of sugar.
- Supposedly healthy Vitamin Water contains up to 13g of sugar.
- An 8oz Snapple contains up to 23g of sugar.
- A single Pop Tart contains 17g of sugar.
- A Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll has up to 55g.
- Most kids cereals, like Capn Crunch, Frosted Flakes and Trix contain anywhere from 10-12g of sugar per serving.
- A 16oz Starbucks Mocha Grande Frappuccino contains over 40g of sugar.
While that is discouraging, all of the listed items are actually only a part of a ‘bad’ diet, and are completely avoidable. The change in a drastic reduction in sugar consumption will not happen over night, but with the proper education and dismissal of false advertising, changes will occur in time.

Read more: https://naturalsociety.com/scientists-declare-health-crisis-over-carcinogenic-sugars/#ixzz5PbuYpTFP

Follow us: @naturalsociety on Twitter | NaturalSociety on Facebook

An interesting informative excerpt from the Cancer Tutor:
Dr. Tony [Antonio] Jimenez hypothesizes that sugar from Organic Produce may not contribute to cancer cell growth like its adulterated counterpart [refined sugar/HFCS]. He explains that human mammalian cells absorb levorotatory (left spinning) molecules, while cancer cells can only assimilate dextrorotatory (right spinning) molecules.

Essentially, fruits in their natural state contain left spinning sugars, whereas GMO-influenced fruits consist only of right spinning sugars. Dr. Jimenez concludes that the glycemic index is not nearly as important as the source and lineage of the fruits and vegetables we eat. As an example, Dr. Max Gerson used Carrot Juice as a successful alternative therapy, despite its high glycemic index.

Resources can be found at https://realfarmacy.com/refined-sugars-create-cancer-sources-references/

https://naturalsociety.com/scientists-declare-health-crisis-over-carcinogenic-sugars/
August 31, 2018
A Trillion Dollars is Spent Each Year from the Damaging Health Effects of Sugar
America spends two and a half times more on healthcare per capita than any other developed nation, quickly approaching $3 trillion EVERY year. With this kind of expenditure, you would expect our citizens to be the healthiest in the world, but this is not the case.

In fact, the US ranks dead last in quality of care—Americans are sicker and live shorter lives than people in most other industrialized nations. So where’s the money going?

The Credit Suisse Research Institute’s 2013 study1 “Sugar: Consumption at a Crossroads” found that 30 to 40 percent of US healthcare expenditures are for diseases directly related to the overconsumption of sugar!

We spend more than a trillion dollars each year fighting the damaging health effects of sugar. This, combined with the massive waste, fraud, and inefficiency of our healthcare system, make it completely unsustainable over time.

US Government Actually Encourages Sugar Consumption

Excess sugar causes obesity as well as a plethora of illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and cancer. If you want to locate the sickest people, follow obesity rates. According to a United Health Foundation study, nine of the 10 least healthy states in the nation also have nine of the 10 worst obesity rates.2

With one food causing such pervasive health problems and so much national expense, you would think our government regulators would do everything they could to lower sugar consumption. But the opposite is true—they encourage it!

Maybe the US government read the 2008 study that challenged the common notion that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars.3 The study suggested that healthy people are more expensive to care for because they live longer.

Maybe the government wants us to get obese—because we’ll die younger. As cynical as that sounds, it would explain why they continue to subsidize the corn syrup industry.4

Cancer Predicted to Become #1 Killer of Americans

Besides the obvious sugar-obesity link, I’ve also often discussed the intrinsic connection between sugar consumption and cancer. It’s no surprise to me that cancer rates keep rising, considering that most people consume highly processed food as the bulk of their diet.

A diet devoid of healthy fats and natural vitamins and minerals, while being chockfull of processed sugars and fructose along with synthetic chemicals of all kinds simply cannot produce health, and the proof of this is plain for all to see… A recent report by the American Society of Clinical Oncology predicts that a mere 16 years from now, cancer will be the leading cause of death in the US, surpassing heart disease, which is currently number one. As reported by CNN Health:5

“The number of new cancer cases is expected to increase nearly 45 percent by 2030, from 1.6 million cases to 2.3 million cases annually. This influx of new patients will place a bigger burden on a field of medicine already stretched by physician shortages and financial difficulties, says the report, which highlights growing problems for cancer care in the United States.”

Without Sugar, Cancer Cannot Thrive

The most powerful essential strategy I know of to treat cancer is to starve the cells by depriving them of their food source, which, in large part, is typically sugar. Unlike all the other cells in your body, which can burn carbs or fat for fuel, cancer cells have lost that metabolic flexibility and can only thrive if there enough sugar present. Dr. Otto Warburg was actually given a Nobel Prize over 75 years ago for figuring this out but virtually no oncologist actually uses this information.

Make no mistake about it, the FIRST thing you want to do if you want to avoid or treat cancer if you have insulin or leptin resistance (which 85 percent of people do) is to cut out all forms of sugar/fructose and grain carbs from your diet, in order to starve the cancerous cells.

I recommend reducing your total fructose intake to a maximum of 25 grams/day, from all sources, including fruit. If you are insulin resistant, you’d do well to make your upper limit 15 grams/day. Cancer patients would likely be best served by even stricter limits. For a more detailed discussion please review my interview with Dr. Seyfreid.

The easiest way to dramatically cut down on your sugar and fructose consumption is to switch to a diet of whole, unprocessed foods, as most of the added sugar you end up with comes from processed fare, not from adding a teaspoon of sugar to your tea or coffee. But there are other ways to cut down well. This includes:
- Cutting back on the amount of sugar you personally add to your food and drink
- Using Stevia or Lo Han instead of sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. You can learn more about the best and worst of sugar substitutes in my previous article, “Sugar Substitutes—What’s Safe and What’s Not“
- Using fresh fruit in lieu of canned fruit or sugar for meals or recipes calling for a bit of sweetness
- Using spices instead of sugar to add flavor to your meal
Also consider reducing your protein intake to one gram per kilogram of lean body weight. It would be unusual for most adults to need more than 100 grams of protein and most likely close to half of that amount. Replace the non-vegetable carbs (sugar/fructose/grains) and excess protein with high quality fats, such as organic eggs from pastured hens, high quality meats, avocados, and coconut oil. It’s certainly much easier to prevent cancer than to treat it, once it takes hold, and I believe you can virtually eliminate your risk of cancer (and radically improve your chances of recovering from cancer if you currently have it) by following certain basic lifestyle guidelines. For a full list, please see this previous article.

Two Sodas Per Day May DOUBLE Your Chances for an Untimely Death

A new study found a significant relationship between added sugar consumption and death from heart disease. Americans who consumed the most sugar — about a quarter of their daily calories — were twice as likely to die from heart disease as those who limited their sugar intake to seven percent of their total calories. The average American is consuming 22 teaspoons of sugar per day, about three times what’s recommended. That’s the equivalent of about two sodas.13

According to Dr. Robert Lustig, one of the leading experts on childhood obesity, excess sugar acts as a poison, responsible for weight gain and a multitude of chronic and deadly diseases. Recent research shows that fructose can activate taste cells found on your pancreas, a reaction that can increase your body’s secretion of insulin and raise your risk for type 2 diabetes. Sugar also reacts with AGEs (advanced glycation end products), which is one of the major mechanisms by which damage accrues in your body and leads to aging and disease.

To protect your health, consider restricting your fructose consumption to 25 grams per day or less. If you’re overweight or have a disease such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease (or are at high risk for them) then you’re probably better off further reducing your fructose intake to 15 grams per day or less (and this includes all sources—HFCS, sugar, honey, agave, fruit, fruit juice, maple syrup, etc.).

Redesigning Subsidies for the Health of People and Planet

The time is ripe for change. Redesigning our food system could help move us toward health and economic recovery. If we’re going to subsidize farmers, let’s subsidize them in a way that helps restore the health of American citizens and our land—programs that might just pay for themselves by the reduction in healthcare costs they bring about. Two years ago, Mark Brittman of the New York Times14 argued that subsidy money could be easily redirected toward helping smaller farmers to compete in the marketplace in a number of ways. For example, funds could be redirected toward:
- Funding research and innovation in sustainable agriculture
- Providing incentives to attract new farmers
- Saving farmland from development
- Assisting farmers who grow currently unsubsidized fruits and vegetables, while providing incentives for monoculture commodity farmers (corn, soy, wheat, and rice) to convert some of their operations to more desirable foods
- Leveling the playing field so that medium-sized farms can more favorably compete with agribusiness as suppliers for local supermarkets
If you don’t like the idea of your tax dollars funding corporate welfare programs for corporations that flood the market with sugary beverages and processed foods, join forces with organizations that are actively working for positive change. Here are five actions you can take:
- The Environmental Working Group has started a petition urging Congress to enact a Farm Bill that protects family farmers who help us protect the environment and public health. Take a moment to sign it now.
- Sign up with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to keep abreast of news and action alerts relating to the Farm Bill.
- Join Food Democracy Now, an organization co-founded by Aaron Woolf, director of the documentary film King Corn.
- Of course, you can also voice your opinion every day by voting with your wallet and supporting small family farms in your area.
- Say no to junk food producers by not buying their products, andreturn to a diet of real, whole foods—fresh organic produce, meats from animals raised sustainably and humanely on pasture, and raw organic milk and eggs.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/29/sugar-consumption-healthcare-costs.aspx
August 30, 2018
Parasites. Don’t Feed The Worms.

Jill shares with her journey of healing from parasites that caused kidney stones and skin eczema. Embracing the adage, “Let food be thy medicine”. She shares her journey of going sugar free, eliminating destructive foods and consuming healing foods after real relief wasn’t found from allopathic doctors.
Find how how she began with Starting the Journey. Today she share with us about kids health and helping them to change their diet.

After taking on what seems to be the impossible, detoxing myself from sugar, I was faced with the echoing dilemma, “How do I take sugar from my kids?” and “Will life ever be the same?”

The answers are quite complex but not unreachable.

It came to me after talking about it with my four year old.

NOTE: My kids love playing in the compost pile and seeing who can find the biggest worms.

I was talking to the kids about germs and invaders of the body and about how sugars feed them and out of my mouth came the question,

“Do you want to feed your worms?”

This pretty much took care of the problem. Of course he didn’t want them in his tummy.

I haven’t had much of a struggle with the kids since. Praise God for simple things. Kids are so amazing and if we take the time to teach them truth at a level they understand, they grasp it quickly and completely.

I wish it was that easy for the teenager and husband to grasp. But the echo of this question works for the young ones for now.

Funny thing is, when my four year old now wants a sucker from the bank line he turns to mommy in public and says loud and serious,

“MOM! I WANNA FEED MY WORMS!”

Learn More About Parasites:

What to eat to keep Parasites at bay

Healing after Parasites Lindsey’s Story

Help us! Do you have resources on parasite cleanse you wish to share? Contact info@healthfreedomidaho.com

March 9, 2018
Sugar’s Effect

Could sugar be considered a toxin? Is sugar addictive?

Published on Jan 7, 2014

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-sugar-a…

When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine — an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.

This you are addicted to sugar? Check out Dr Axe’s video on breaking the addiction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3sixYr7onw

This article originally appeared at: https://youtu.be/lEXBxijQREo.

August 11, 2017
Diet Soda DANGERS

Diet Soda Destroys Your Body. Aspartame kills. Over 91 symptoms were documented by FDA before they stopped taking reports. Aspartame interacts with hormones. Dr. James Bowen has written a lot on aspartame and lupus. He says aspartame turns your immune system against your body. The formaldehyde embalms the proteins and makes them strange to the immune system. Your immune system attacks your own body because it considers your own denatured protein as an antigen. This generates the false information fed into the immune system that your own proteins are to be attacked. Then any other insults, mental, physical, immunological can stimulate the immune attack and the immune attack is lupus!

Selena Gomez has lupus.
She drinks Diet Coke. 1

Michael J. Fox is said to have Parkinson’s.
He was “Mr. Diet Pepsi” 1987. 2

Heath Ledger drank diet soda. He’s dead.

John Ritter drank diet soda. He’s dead.

Annette (you old Mousketeers know of her) drank diet soda and she died of MS.

1 Selena Gomez advertises Diet Coke and has lupus.. I wrote about it recently and added an email to the CDC which went into exactly how aspartame can precipitate lupus. http://www.mpwhi.com/selena_gomez_and_aspartame.htm
Michael Jackson was another advertiser of diet pop and had lupus.

2 Michael Fox advertised Diet Pepsi and has Parkinson’s.
Cher used it and has Epstein Barr. We did get to her before she signed a $900,000 deal to continue advertising Equal. She quit immediately. It has become so epidemic the Epstein Barr Assoc changed their name to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Lucky Vanous, the Diet Coke hunk who advertised Diet Coke was fortunately in Atlanta and I was able to get information to him. Fifty-eight days later Lucky was on Hardcopy and gone from Coke. Later Hardcopy was cancelled.

RESOURCES:
Read the last chapter in “While Science Sleeps: A Sweetener Kills” at www.whilesciencesleeps.com free by Dr. Woodrow Monte.
Bressler Report and see the FDA’s own reports stating that aspartame causes birth defects on www.mpwhi.com Yet the FDA continues to lie to the public.More on aspartame on www.wnho.net, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame and www.aspartamekills.com

May 31, 2017
Food & Mood
Food and Mood: How food impacts your brain health

We are all aware of how our moods influence our food choices. Many of us have used food as an alternative to feeling our feelings. It is often easier to feel full than it is to feel angry, sad, lonely, depressed or anxious. We celebrate with food, we commiserate with food, we soothe ourselves with food. Our mood often impacts the decision to eat and what we choose to eat!

But did you know that what you eat also influences how you feel. The food we eat can actually impact our mood. What we eat can contribute to feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness and even depression. Our food choices even influence how our brain ages and can contribute to the development of dementia or Alzheimer’s in our later years.

How food impacts brain health

The food we eat provides the basic building blocks for all of our physiological needs. Our brain weighs about 2% of our body mass but uses 20% of our caloric needs. We know that what we eat impacts our health, but a lot of people forget that our brain is attached to our body and what we eat impacts its health as well!

If you were to build a house out of rotten lumber what do you think would happen?? The food we eat essentially provides the building blocks we use to build and renovate a healthy body and brain. Healthy food, healthy brain.

Food provides the building blocks for a healthy brain

Neurotransmitter synthesis requires adequate amino acids (which are derived from protein) and vitamin and mineral co factors. Deficiencies in either protein or B12, folate, B6 and zinc can cause symptoms of depression and dementia such as low mood, fatigue, cognitive decline and irritability.

Omega 3 fatty acids also benefit our moods and reduce the risk of dementia. Recently a large meta- analysis which included 26 studies and over 150,000 individuals confirmed that high fish consumption (which is one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids) is significantly associated with a reduced risk of depression. Other research has also shown that some diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids (especially EPA) has a beneficial effect on the symptoms of depression.

The brain on fire

One of the reasons that omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial is that they are anti-inflammatory. More and more research is linking neuro inflammation to depression, anxiety, dementia, Alzheimer’s and ADHD. Omega 3 fatty acids help put out the fire!

One of the challenges with the standard North American Diet is that we don’t consume enough omega 3 fatty acids and we over consume omega 6 fatty acids – which are pro inflammatory. Current ratios of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids are 16:1. Traditional diets ranged from 4:1 to 1:4. A far cry from current consumption ratios.

Antioxidants also play a role

A diet rich in antioxidants can have a positive impact on mood and brain health in general. Antioxidants are substances that protect our cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are by products of normal physiological processes. They are also created after exposure to a variety environmental toxins such as cigarette smoke, pollution etc. Free radicals cause oxidative stress and contribute to the development of many diseases ranging from cancer, heart disease , depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis to name just a few.

Vitamins A,C and E, carotenoids, flavonoids, tannins, lignans and phenols are antioxidants derived from food that protect our cells from free radical damage.

Plant based foods are the best sources – fruits, vegetables, nuts,

seeds, herbs, spices, whole grains. And even chocolate! Current dietary recommendations are 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables. In 2014, only 39.5% of Canadians aged 12 and older reported eating 5 or more servings daily.

Lets talk about sugar

Sugar also impacts our mood. There are actually no government guidelines in North America regarding the daily intake of sugar. The World Health Organization recommends we decrease our consumption of added sugar to no more than 5% of our daily calories or a maximum of 6 teaspoons of sugar daily. If you read labels it is helpful to know that 4 grams of sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon.

The average Canadian eats 18 teaspoons of sugar daily. That is an astounding 88 pounds a year. Teenagers eat more – boys a whopping 138 pounds of sugar a year.

Sugar is like a drug

When we eat sugar there is a release of feel good hormones. Sugar hijacks the brains reward pathway. Over activity of this reward system leads to more cravings and an increased tolerance to sugar. So begins a vicious cycle of cravings.

Sugar and carb laden foods mess with our brains neurotransmitters. Sugar also causes our blood sugar crash and can cause symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, brain fog and fatigue. Chronically high blood sugar has also been linked to inflammation in the brain.

The standard N.A. diet that is high in processed food (sugar, fat, salt) increases the risk of depression compared to those who eat a whole foods diet that is lower in sugar and processed food.

How to boost your mood with food

Start with real food. Real food is the kind of food that has been around for hundreds of years. Avoid processed and refined food, preservatives, artificial flavours and sweeteners.

Get a minimum of 7 -10 servings of fruits and vegetables.

Eat fish several times a week. Wild salmon, herring, sardines are the highest in omega 3 fatty acids. Supplement with a good source of fish oil if this is preferable.

Add more healthy fats to your diet. Great sources are nuts, seeds, avocados, flax seeds, extra virgin olive oil.

Eat less sugar and refined carbohydrates. Aim for less than 6 teaspoons daily.

Incorporate more herbs and spices into your cooking.

Enjoy good quality dark chocolate in moderation!!

But don’t forget to also move your body daily, practise gratitude, and have more fun…….

This article originally appeared at: http://www.saskwellness.com/food-and-mood-how-food-impacts-your-brain-health/.
May 13, 2017
How sugar affects the brain

When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine — an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more.
Nicole Avena explains what sugar does to your body.
Lesson by Nicole Avena, animation by STK Films.

This article originally appeared at: https://youtu.be/lEXBxijQREo.

Help teens figure out alternate sweeteners. What do you use to satisfy a sweet tooth.

March 10, 2017
Eat Up those Valentine’s DARK Chocolates – They Are Good For You!
Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health.

Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet.

Studies show that dark chocolate (not the sugary crap) can improve health and lower the risk of heart disease.

1. Dark Chocolate is Very Nutritious

If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it is actually quite nutritious.

It contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals.

A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains (1):

11 grams of fiber.

67% of the RDA for Iron.

58% of the RDA for Magnesium.

89% of the RDA for Copper.

98% of the RDA for Manganese.

It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

Of course, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) is a fairly large amount and not something you should be consuming daily.
All these nutrients also come with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar.

For this reason, dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation.

2. Dark Chocolate is a Powerful Source of Antioxidants

It is loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants. These include polyphenols, flavanols, catechins, among others.

One study showed that cocoa and dark chocolate contained more antioxidant activity, polyphenols and flavanols than other fruits they tested, which included blueberries and Acai berries (2).

Bottom Line: Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants, way more than most other foods.

3. Dark Chocolate May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure

The flavanols in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the lining of arteries, to produce Nitric Oxide (NO), which is a gas (3).

One of the functions of NO is to send signals to the arteries to relax, which lowers resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure.

There are many controlled trials showing that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, but the effects are usually mild (4, 5, 6, 7).

However, there is also one study in people with elevated blood pressure that showed no effect, so take all this with a grain of salt (8).

Bottom Line: The bioactive compounds in cocoa can improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure.

4. Dark Chocolate Raises HDL and Protects LDL Against Oxidation

Consuming dark chocolate can improve several important risk factors for heart disease.

It makes perfect sense that cocoa lowers oxidized LDL. It contains an abundance of powerful antioxidants that do make it into the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins against oxidative damage (10, 11, 12).

Dark chocolate can also reduce insulin resistance, which is another common risk factor for many diseases like heart disease and diabetes (13, 14).

Bottom Line: Dark chocolate improves several important risk factors for disease. It lowers the susceptibility of LDL to oxidative damage while increasing HDL and improving insulin sensitivity.

5. Dark Chocolate May Lower The Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be highly protective against the oxidation of LDL.

In the long term, this should cause much less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries and we should see a lower risk of heart disease over the long term.

It turns out that we have several long-term observational studies that show a fairly drastic improvement.

In a study of 470 elderly men, cocoa was found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by a whopping 50% over a 15 year period (15).

Another study revealed that eating chocolate 2 or more times per week lowered the risk of having calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%. Eating chocolate less frequently had no effect (16).

Yet another study showed that chocolate 5+ times per week lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 57% (17).

Of course, these 3 studies are so-called observational studies that can not prove that it was the chocolate that caused the reduction in risk.

However, given that we have a biological mechanism (lower blood pressure and oxidized LDL) then I find it plausible that regular consumption of dark chocolate can in fact reduce the risk of heart disease.

Bottom Line: Observational studies show a drastic reduction in heart disease risk for the people who consume the most chocolate.

6. Dark Chocolate May Protect Your Skin Against The Sun

The bioactive compounds in dark chocolate may also be great for your skin.

The flavonols can protect against sun-induced damage, improve blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration (19).

The minimal erythemal dose (MED) is the minimum amount of UVB rays required to cause redness in the skin, 24 hours after exposure.

In one study of 30 people, the MED more than doubled after consuming dark chocolate high in flavanols for 12 weeks (20).

Bottom Line: Studies show that the flavanols from cocoa can improve blood flow to the skin and protect it against sun-induced damage.

7. Dark Chocolate May Improve Brain Function

The good news isn’t over yet. Dark chocolate may also improve the function of the brain.

One study of healthy volunteers showed that 5 days of consuming high-flavanol cocoa improved blood flow to the brain (21).

Cocoa may also significantly improve cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment. It also improves verbal fluency and several risk factors for disease (22).

Cocoa also contains stimulant substances like caffeine and theobromine, which may be a key reason cocoa can improve brain function in the short term (23).

Take Home Message

There is considerable evidence that cocoa can provide powerful health benefits, being especially protective against cardiovascular disease.

But of course, this doesn’t mean people should go all out and consume lots of chocolate every day. It is still loaded with calories and easy to overeat on. Maybe have a square or two after dinner and try to really savor them.

Dark chocolates often contain some sugar, but the amounts are usually small and the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it will contain.

There are of course other benefits to chocolate that I have not mentioned… such as the awesome taste.
This article originally appeared at: https://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate/.

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February 13, 2017